Between the Wimbledon Championships of 1999 and 2003, 15 of the 17 Grand Slam titles up for grabs in that period were secured by American women. An era of dominance was enjoyed by Lindsay Davenport and Jennifer Capriati alongside the emergence of Venus and Serena Williams.
Across the same period of time, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras were still in the business of collecting major honors aplenty, while Andy Roddick was unlocking the potential that would allow him to savor a memorable success on home soil.
Since those heady days, a barren run has been endured by US men while Venus and Serena have continued to do much of the heavy lifting in the women’s game. There have been other winners but said successes have tended to be flashes in a pan where a star burns brightly for a couple of weeks before fizzling out.
Potential
Perhaps more of the same lies in store this year, with US Open 2022 odds featuring plenty of American hopefuls that boast the potential to get the Stars and Stripes flying proudly once more. Few, in both the male and female draws, are considered to sit among the favorites, but it is the ability of an underdog to rip up the form book and deliver feats of the unexpected that continue to make sport so captivating to billions around the world.
Somebody will have tipped Sloane Stephens to emerge victorious at Flushing Meadows in 2017, despite there being little to suggest that she was capable of capturing that particular crown, while Roddick proved in 2003 that anything is possible when passionate home support gets swept along for the ride.
When Stephens emerged victorious some five years ago, an all-American final was played out against Madison Keys. That remains the last occasion in which two stars from the United States graced the same stage with a Grand Slam prize up for grabs.
Given the nation’s rich history of success on a tennis court, to have allowed others to overtake them and then race off into the distance will be a source of considerable frustration for those in the corridors of power at the USTA.
New era
The potential, certainly from a collection of talented women, is there for more celebrations to be sparked by a home favorite at Flushing Meadows at some stage in the near future. Plenty will continue to keep the turnstiles ticking over while clinging to the belief that a sporting tide can be turned.
And we love cheering you on, Serena. ❤️️ pic.twitter.com/MBiiIm2bRw
— USTA (@usta) August 9, 2022
The best part of 20 years may have passed since American tennis was knocked from the loftiest of perches, with Serena Williams’ decision to retire set to serve as another reminder of how challenging it is to reach the very top and stay there, but sport has a tendency to work in cycles.
Maybe the wheel is beginning to turn once more and former glories will be rekindled before memories of the past really start to fade. Hope continues to spring eternal on American shores, with the plan being that glory is not too far behind.
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